Charge ejecting nail polish applicator



Junel 23, 1953 D. J. BozzALLA CHARGE EJECTING NAIL POLISH APPLICATOR Filed March 6, 1950 A TTONE Y Patented June 23, 1953 OFFICE CHARGE EJECTIN G NAIL POLISH APPLICATOR Delbert J. Bozzalla, Los Angeles, Calif. Application March 6, 1950, Serial No. 147,970

My present invention relates to applicators generally, and particularly to means for applying colored lacquers and other liquids to the nails of the lingers and toes as a part of the feminine toilet.

An object of my invention is to provide a device particularly adapted, although not necessarily, for the application of nail polish to vthe finger and toe nails, and structurally charactern ized by a minimum number of simply and inexpensively constructed parts capable of being quickly assembled to define a handle-forming reservoir for the nail polish, supporting a brush head into which a charge of nail polish may be positively delivered from the reservoir through a valve-controlled outlet thereof, by manipulation of an actuator with a finger of the hand in which vthe device is being held, all in such manner as to greatly facilitate application of the polish to the nails by dispensing with the usual bottle of nail polish and a separate brush which must be dipped into the small neck of the bottle several times with considerable care and skill during the polish-applying operation in order lto avoid smearing the bottle or clipping the brush too deeply and transferring an excessive amount of polish to the brush.

Another object of my invention is to provide an applicator ofthe class described whose con-v struction renders it .absolutely leak-proof irrefy spective of variations in temperature, as well as to obviate clogging of the working parts from evaporation of the volatile vehicle such as'amyl acetate which is generally used for compounding nail polish. Y Y

A further object of my invention ,is` to provide an applicator whose parts may be molded.y of plastics and assembled to form a compact,A streamlined structure which may be'sold at a reasonable price and will function with maximunr eiciency for an indenite period of time.

Still another object of my invention is to pro- 2 Claims. (CI. 15-137) passage for positive ejection therefrom into the brush bristles when the next forward or working stroke of the plunger is effected.

With these and other objects in view, my invention resides in the combinations, arrangements and functional relationships of elements as set forth in the following specification and particularly pointed out in the appended claims;

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure l is a longitudinal axial sectional View of one form of charge ejecting nail polish applicator embodying my present invention, and

illustrating the applicator sealed for carrying about the person or in a handbag; n

Figure 2.is a View similar to Figure 1 and showing the position of the working parts preparatoryr to delivering a charge 'of nail polish to the' brush;

Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6 are enlarged transverse` sectional views taken on theA lines 3--3, 4 4, 5-5 and Ii-6, respectively, of Figure 1 and Figure 7 is a further enlarged fragmentary longitudinal sectional View of the brush taken on' vide an applicator of the above described character embodying a brush which, vin the manu-k facture of the brush head, has its bristles compressed sufficiently to co-act with nail polish inv restricting the passage of air to such extent that a temporary partial vacuum will be created' in the charge-receiving passage of the liquid reservoir when the return or idle stroke of the plunger which works insuch passage is effected, all in' such manner that when the plunger clears one end of the passage upon completion of the return stroke, a charge 4of nail polish from the reservoir will be Aaiiiximatically sucked into the the line I-l of Figure 2.`

Referring specifically to the drawings, my present invention comprises a cylindrical barrel I0 streamlined towards its rear end which vis provided with internal screw threads II to receive the external screw threads I2 of a filler plug I3. The forward end of the barrel is also internally screw threaded at I 4 to receive the external screw threads i5 of the'cylindrical body portion IB of a head or brush holder I'! to dene in the barrel a liquid reservoir I8 which is prolonged into a laterally offset longitudinal duct I9 inthe head I1 having its forward end communicating with the rear end of a coaxially related passage 20 of relatively small diameter.

vThe forward streamlinedend of the head II is provided with a cylindrical socket 2l co-axially related to" the forward end of the passage 20 which communicates with the socket for the delivery of a charge of nail polish from the reservoir i8 to a brush B which is tted in the socket as will be later described in detail.

Co-axially related to the duct I9 and extending freely therethrough is a plunger 25, the forward end of which is confined by guides 26 for v reciprocating movement into and out of the passage 20.' In its advanced positionshown in Figure l, the forward end of the plunger acts as a valve to `seal the passage 20 against the leakage of liquid from the reservoir I8, and the tip end ing washer 2l 2I as clearlyy seated in the bottom of the socket shown in this figure. vIn theretracted position of the plunger 25 shown in Figure 2, the plunger is guided by the guides 26, as the tip end of the plunger clears the inner end of the passage 26 so as to place the latter in communication with the duct IS through the inlet passages 28 between the guides.

The opposite end of the plunger 25 is provided with an eye 30 through which freely projects the short leg-3| of an L-shaped connector 32, the long leg 33 of which is freely slidable in a longitudinal bore 34 in the head l1 which is in parallelism with the length of the passage 20'. The free end of the leg 33 has af'forceftin'. a socket 35 of an actuator or finger piece 36 which is of segmental shape in cross section as shown.

in Figure 5, and has a flat, longitudinally'grooved face 31 which receives a flat, longitudinaltongue 54 of the bristles (Figures 2 and 7) to restrict the passage of air into the passage to such extent that a temporary partial vacuum will be created in the passage when the plunger is retracted by the actuator as aforestated. Thus when the plunger clears'the inner end of the passage, the effect of the vaccum in the latter will be to draw Vacharge .of nail polish .from the .reservoir into the. passageA irrespective lofthe position in which the applicator is being held, whereby to insure that a charge of nail polish will enter the passage from the reservoir Veaclrtimethat the plunger is retracted by the actuator.

38 on the head I1 to mount the actuator on the head for reciprocating movement.

The cylindrical portion i6 of the head Il is provided with a segmentalrecess 46 slidably receiving the actuator Y36. A coil Vspring l4| vis mounted on the leg 33 of the connector 32l and extends freely into a deep pocket 42 in the head, with the ends ofthe spring bearing against the bottoms of the recessli and pocket 42 to urge the actuator andhence the plunger 25 as a unitto the advanced position shown in Figure 1. Mounted on the long leg 33. is an elastic sealing washer43 and a follower collar 44 which, under the action of the spring 4|, seals the bore 34 against leakage of nail polishV from the reservoir.

From Figure '7 it will be noted that the brush B is composed of an outer tube 56 which receives the brushbristles 5|. A stop collar 52 is forced into one end of the tube 5|)V over the bristles 5| and forms an annular stop against which the bristles are pressed by a delivery tube. 53of relatively small diameter which is forced into'th'e other end of the outer tube cio-axially there--Y of, for co-action with the stop collar in compressing the bristles between thelatter and Ydelivery tube at 54 for a, purpose to be later described. The outer tube 56, which forms the head of the brush, is a tight friction t in the socket 2|, and seats against the sealing Washer 2l, with the bore of the delivery tube 53. in comrnunication with the passage 26 to receive nail' polish therefrom.

The actuator 36 has a serrated, cupped nose 55 to receive a finger tip for movement of the actuator to its retracted position shown in Figure 2. A streamlined cap 56 frictionally fits over the forward end of the barrel ID so as` to enclose the brush B and protect same as Well as all workingparts when the applicator is not in use.

In operation, let it be assumed that the res-V ervoir I3 is supplied with a quantity .of nail polish, so that upon removing the cap 56 the applicator may be grasped in the hand while a finger thereof moves the actuator 36 from its advanced position shown in Figure l to its re-V tracted position of Figure 2, thus moving the plunger 25 so that its forward end clears the inner end of the passage 2|! and is being guided by the guides 26.

With the brush B of the applicator lowermost, the nail polish from the reservoir will now through the duct |.9 and passages 28 into thepassage 26, so that upon the release of the actuator, the spring 4| will force the charge of nail polish from the passage through the delivery tube 53. into the brush bristles. Once the brush has received a quantity of nail polish, thelatter will co-act with the compressed area It will be clear that the pressure imposed upon the nail polish in the passage by the plunger y'Whenfadvanced therein by the spring 4| upon the release of the actuator 3'6, will be sufficient' to 'overcome the resistance of the compressed bristle area 54 to the flow of the polish, .so that the 'polish will be forced past such -areas ofthe bristles to. the forward end of the vbrush for application to the fingers or toes. Successive operations of the actuator 36 will deliver nail polish to the brush in measured charges. so as to enable all the nailsto be painted with .the utmost ease and dispatch and without any Waste or spillingA of the` polish.

I claim:

1. A'charge ejecting applicator'for viscousliquids comprising: a barrel providing areservoir. for the liquid; a head closing one end ofthe barrel and having a passage of relatively small diameter, with plunger guides at the inner .,end.

of the passage spaced to denne passages providing communication between the reservoirJ and passage; a plunger Working in said passage. and guides 'to occupy a retracted position wherein4 the plunger clears the inner end ofthe passage to permit liquid from thereservoir to r-enter the. passage through said passagesand an advancedf position wherein the plunger entersandcloses oft the passage from the reservoir so. astoeject the charge of liquid from the outer end ofthe passage; a manually operable. actuator mounted. on said head for reciprocating movement; means operatively connecting said plunger .to.saidac tuator for movement by the latter toretracted position; a spring urging the actuator and plunger as a unit to move the plunger to its-ad vancedposition; said head having a socket of.` relatively large, uniform diameter co-.axiallyrre lated to the outer end of said passage.; a tubev of uniform diameter frictionally fitting -in.said sockets; bristles in said tube and projectingy from the outer end thereof in brush formation; a

stop collar of uniform diameter fitted inthe.. outer end portion onlyof said tubearound.. said bristles; and a delivery tube communicating withA the outer end of said 'passage and beingforced'" into said bristles from the inner end ofthe iirst'.said tube to co-actwith saidstop collar. in Vconstricting the bristles between the inner en'd of the stop collar and the forward end of the." delivery tube so as to set up a permanent refstriction to the ow of air through the brush in order to enable a partial vacuum to beftemporarily created in the passage when the plunger. is moved to said retracted' position, for the auto'-Y matic filling of the vpassage with liquid 'from' the reservoir under theaction of saidfvacuurn.

2. A charge ejecting applicator for v'viscous liquids comprising: a barrel providing a reservoir: foi-.the liquid; a head closingv oneffendfofr'th'e" barrel and. having a' longitudinallyextendirg dil-ctl :s laterally offset from the longitudinal axis of the head; said head having a passage of relatively small uniform diameter at the outer end of said duct, with plunger guides in said duct at the inner end of said passage spaced to provide circumferentially spaced longitudinally extending passages for liquid from the reservoir to the passage; a plunger reciprocably mounted in said passage and said guides to occupy a retracted position wherein the plunger is supported in the guides for the flow of liquid from the reservoir through said passages to the passage, and an advanced position wherein the plunger enters and closes off the passage from the reservoir so as to eject the liquid from the outer end of the passage; a manually operable actuator mounted on said head for reciprocating movement; an L-shaped connector having a short leg operatively connected to said plunger, and a long leg slidably mounted in said head and xed to said actuator so as to effect movement of -the plunger to advanced or retracted position according as the actuator is moved to one extreme position or the other; a coil spring mounted on said long leg and co-acting with the head and actuator to urge the latter and plunger as a unit to move the plunger to its advanced position; said head having a socket of relatively large uniform diameter co-axially related to the outer end of said passage; a tube of uniform diameter frictionally fitting in said socket; bristles in said tube and projecting from the outer end thereof in brush formation; a stop collar of uniform diameter tted in the outer end portion only of p 6 said tube around said bristles; and a delivery tube communicating with the outer end of said passage and being forced into said bristles from the inner end of the rst said tube to cO-actk with said stop collar in constricting the bristles between the collar and the delivery tube so as to set up a permanent restriction to the flow of air through the brush in order to enable a partial vacuum to be temporarily created in the passage when the plunger is moved to said lretracted position, for the automatic lling of the passage With liquid from the reservoir under the action of said vacuum.

DELBERT J. BOZZALLA.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 147,394 Hitchings Feb. 10, 1874 327,586 Perry Oct. 6, 1885 914,526 Stevens Mar. 9, 1909 920,931 Donnelly May 11, 1909 950,483 Howe Mar. 1, 1910 1,203,512 Farnam Oct. 31, 1916 1,870,847 Gottschalk Aug. 9, 1932 1,878,027 Tremolada Sept. 20, 1932 2,305,158 Hanses Dec. 15, 1942 2,331,672 Falkman Oct. 12, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 33,923 Sweden Dec. 4, 1912 108,948 Sweden Nov. 9, 1943 719,897 France Nov. 24, 1931 

